Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen: I read these books once a year. The strength of Lirael to overcome her dark depression, and Sabriel’s fearlessness in the face of Evil gives me the strength to find lightness and good in the worst of situations. Bonus points for this one: The audio book is read by Tim Curry, and it is an entrancing experience.

American Gods: If you want to let literature breathe magic into the mundane again, this is a good choice. In this book you get to meet all the mysterious background gods of the world that inhabit the everyday world in strange ways. This book will make you think and question and regain your sense of wonder.

Left Hand of Darkness: If you claim to love sci fi, this book HAS to be on your Must-Read list. This classic dealt with issues far before their time, one of which is now highlighted by today’s events and cultural shift: the question of gender and sexuality!

The Golden Compass: The best part about this book is being able to live in a world, for just a moment, where everyone has their own forever best friend. I would give my left arm for a deamon. You have to check it out. (For more about why I love this book, check out my full review!)

The Name of the Wind:This book is heavy and big, but let me tell you, it was over FAR to quickly when I finally got around to reading it. Rothfuss pulls you through an epic tale, full of promises, and questions. You WILL love this book. I have no doubt. The only reason you won’t like it is because when you finish reading this and then the second book, you’ll be really quite mad that #3 isn’t done yet. Damn you Rothfuss.

Lucifer: I absolutely love this version of Lucifer’s story. Look, you need to read these, if only just because when the TV show comes out, you have to know the truth about Lucifer. The show will only tell you lies.

The Hero and the Crown: Some will try and tell you that this book isn’t as good as The Blue Sword, but it is still by far my favorite of the two. This is the story of a girl who absolutely refuses to be anything but a hero, and she will inspire you to live big and stay strong and never let your dragons talk you into giving up and letting go.

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We are a 3rd generation, family-owned retail experience! We are unique, eclectic, sometimes irreverent, and sometimes weird (and we are referring to both the staff and the store). In short, we are as far removed from a "Hallmark style" cookie-cutter chain store as you can get. We want to share with you what makes us different, and why that's a good thing. We have been amusing ourselves and the Shadyside community for more than 40 years, and now its time to share the love.

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